One of Bangkok's most buzzing Japanese izakaya restaurants is opening another branch. Teppen, the wood-heavy home-away-from-home for displaced Tokyoites in Ekkamai, will bring its drink-friendly tavern vibes to Sathorn. The new location will be just a skip and a jump from BTS Chong Nonsi on Sathorn Soi 8 and is slated to open in mid-August.

In our 2016 review of Teppen, we called it "one of Bangkok's most warm and soulful izakaya experiences," and praised its lengthy menu of sashimi, Kyoto-style kushiage (deep-fried everything, basically) and robatayaki (charcoal barbecue) designed to be paired with an ice-cold Asahi, ginger highball or full bottle of sake.

However, the new branch joins stiff competition from nearby Silom’s salaryman haunts. Here’s a look at the new Teppen’s five main rivals:

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A super-lax upstairs smoking policy makes this a hit with guys lining their stomach before a night on Soi Thaniya. Avoid the private rooms postered in big-boobed idols, but do get the 16-piece takoyaki set (B280).

This izakaya chain with over 60 branches worldwide specializes in mountains of golden tebasaki, or Nagoya-style fried chicken wings. There are two types of deep-fried wings on offer—the original maboroshino tebasaki (B130/5 pieces) and the kuro tebasaki (B95/3 pieces)—both of which look fried to the point of no return, but are extremely addictive. Wash them down with the all-you-can-drink beer, sake and shochu deal (B499/90 minutes).

This izakaya managed by the same people behing Ekkamai's Teppen serves bar bites in a pared-back, modern Japanese interior. Promising lots of chef-customer interaction, the restaurant's signature dishes include six kinds of kushiyaki (grilled chicken and pork skewers, B600). Naturally, you should wash it down with sake, either in cocktail form or as part of a set.